


The Hollow Man of Mystery

by Alazan



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Brother Feels, Character Death, Death from Old Age, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feels, Regret, viking funeral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 22:56:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5762068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alazan/pseuds/Alazan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is the way the world ends<br/>Not with a bang but with a whimper"<br/>-T.S. Eliot "Hollow Men" </p>
<p>Stanley Pines wasn't one to give up easily, but at the end of the day he is still just an old man.</p>
<p>Weirdmaggedon is over, the day has been saved, the kids eventually head home, and 'normality' returns to Gravity Falls. Ford began to believe that this was a new start. And for him, maybe it was. But Stanley Pines 'died' in a car crash a long time ago. There can only be one Stanford, and he had wanted his identity back...but not like this. The only consolation was that Stanley had some peace in the end. Still hurt like hell to lose his brother though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hollow Man of Mystery

                                                                        

_"When did we become old men?"_

* * *

 

 

It was hard to believe that the events of Weirdmageddon were over. It took all of them a few days to really let it sink in. When they did, they busied themselves by helping with repairs. Deep down they knew things could never be the same again, and as they fixed things around town they saw a visual representation of that sentiment. Cracks and stains and missing pieces obvious in all type of structures. 

As much as the twins protested that they should stay and help more, Stan reminded them that their parents hadn't the slightest clue of what was going on in Gravity Falls. They still expected the twins to be home by the end of the summer and they already had a few extra weeks added. Those weeks not being the easiest to explain once communications were available again. 

Dipper and Mabel begrudgingly agreed to head home, together, with promises of coming back as soon as possible. And promising to keep in touch in a variety of ways. Mabel even left behind her phone so they could video chat. 

After that, things eventually find a natural routine. The Mystery Shack is as famous as ever. Wendy sometimes brings some of her brothers to help. Some of the older ones even start getting on the pay role. As soon as Soos makes sure that his Abuelita is alright, he spends the rest of his time helping at the shack when he's not video chatting with the twins or Melody. 

Stan, because Soos has taken over on repairing the shack himself as a gift to his father figure, doesn't have much to do there. Instead he takes out his little 'Stan-O-War' boat and tries to relax by fishing. Ford finds him at the lake one day and joins him. Wanting to make a connection that was desperately missing between them, Ford acquires a ship...it needs some adjustments but it becomes the pet project they never finish.

And maybe it was doomed to never be finished.  

Ford himself was finally allowing himself to relax. With Bill gone, the portal destroyed, and the rift no longer a problem...the 'danger' he was always fearing wasn't worth fearing anymore. With Dipper and Mabel as examples, he's learned to look passed the pain and hurt, and realize just how much he's missed his brother. And when they start working on 'Stan-O-War II' it's the happiest he's been in far too long. When he laughed genuinely with Stanley at some stupid joke...it caught him by surprise. And then he laughed even harder until he began to cry. Stan didn't mock him or judge him, but laughed and cried along with him. 

Between repairing things at the Shack, the town, or the boat...they were always busy. Some days it was harder to sleep than others, so their schedules weren't always concrete. Some days they saw hours of each other, some days they only said goodbye as they went and did what was needed. But it was the morning that he didn't see hide or tail of his brother, was when Ford began to have a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

Despite it being passed noon and still no sign of his brother, Ford refuses to think it's anything serious, probably just Stanley slacking off somewhere. So he rolls his eyes and heads to his brother's room and knocks, "Come on you old goat, we have things to do. I think I finally got the finishing parts for the Stan-O-War Part 2. It's not gonna finish itself and you're doing some of the work this time around."

There's no answer. So he knocks, and then knocks louder when there's no answer still. The door opens ajar at the last hard knock and he pokes his head inside, "Stanley?"

Stan's on the bed, a ghost of smile on his face. He looked...so peaceful. Part of him wants to walk away and pretend that that's all it was. Just a tired old man who needed his rest. But as Ford approaches, he already knows the truth, but is denying it at the same time. "...Lee?" His voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, and emotion he's pushed to the back of his mind comes rushing to the forefront. And he nudges him, trying to wake him up even if he's seen how unnaturally pale and rigid the body is.

He can't accept the information in front of him, despite how obvious it all is. Lifting his hand, as a single tear escapes his eye and he weakly asks aloud, "High six?"

When there's no reply, Ford crumbles to the ground. The top half of his body falls over Stanley's tucked in corpse, and he cries over his brother's chest.

* * *

 

                                             

As Ford watched the boat be eaten by flames into the horizon, silent tears fell from his eyes. 

"Just when I wanted to sail the seas with you...you go where I cannot follow. Wherever you land, Stanley, wait for me. I know it's selfish to ask you to wait some more but...I can't follow you just yet."

 


End file.
